ABOUT TOWN: Imagine the World

Guests to yesterrday's Annual Scholarship Luncheon at for the local Ophelia Project were greeted by local artist Gideon Cohn and two dozen impeccably dressed teenage girls from Indio Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Indio High School and Shadow Hills High School. They all gathered around a large scale assemblage mural called "Imagine The World" they had created together as part of their art awareness program.

"I was brought in by Dolores Vinci, one of the mentors for the project," explained Cohn. "I was asked to facilitate a major art project with the girls. Today, I am so proud because the project was about imagining the world and I got to educate the girls about sustainability, water, natural resources, and get them to start thinking more about what their imprint is on this earth."

The mural he created with the girls featured large patches of land made to represent different parts of the world and the girls' lives complete with props like houses, cars, jewelry, and other ephemera from daily life. The different patches were then put together like a puzzle to make a complete work of art.

Cohn got a bit teary eyed while recounting the sessions he spent with the girls making the art and teaching them about ways to personally conserve at home like cutting down shower time, recycling cans and bottles and spreading the word to their peers.

The Ophelia Project is one of the most inspirational programs in our valley. For 13 years it has been a volunteer-team mentoring program for adolescent girls designed to encourage girls to finish school and pursue higher education and career options. The curriculum addresses teen obesity, prevention, rational aggression, building self esteem and confidence. The art awareness component improves grades by enhancing engagement and attendance.

All the girls attend the scholarship luncheon together once a year to honor their Ophelia sisters. These are young women who are graduating from high school or are on their way in college, who receive special gifts of cash scholarships from donors and community supporters to help pave their academic ways.

Dolores Vinci won Mentor of the Year Award for her efforts. Sitting at her table, I could see why. She purposefully sat us adults at the table in between the Ophelia high school girls so the girls would be forced to be social and to talk to us about their lives and their future plans. I sat next to a lovely lady named Osiris who told me the project had opened her up from severe shyness.

It was really great to see the girls accept their scholarships and talk a bit about their next steps in life from culinary arts to the nursing profession to forensic investigation.

Director, and Women in Film and Television Member Sherry Halperin gave a great speech when presented their scholarship to a young lady. She remembered the days she got lambasted for being a girl in school who said she wanted to be a director. She made a goose-bump rendering speech to the girls about dreams, and how no matter where we come from or what obstacles we have in life, we all have the ability to achieve them.